What On Earth Is Netflix's 'Special Interest' Category?

In its early streaming days the video service bought up the rights to anything it could get its mitts on. Lately, Netflix has lost its sense of entropy, thanks to a dwindling library of movies and a big push toward original content. Or that's how it feels until you look in Netflix's "Special Interest" category.

Its contents bear no resemblance to the phrase "Special Interest", or much in common with each other. Bob Ross competes with a life coach. A David Blaine special and a nature documentary share real estate with a knockoff Yule log. By all indications, this forgotten category is Netflix's junk drawer.

Even Netflix does a little spring cleaning once in a while though. A Twitter search reveals two things: 1) How few people have ever bothered to look at this strange corner of the site, which appears to have existed since 2008, and 2) that "Special Interest" at one point contained shows about bellydancing, knife fighting, historic pubs, as well as various Shakespeare plays and a kama sutra tutorial. None of these are present among the 32 current titles, though we reached out to Netflix to see if there is any rhyme or reason to how things end up in this category.

Image: Netflix. Honestly who has time for this

Now knowing what "Special Interest" has lost over the years, let's see what it currently has to offer. How about a seven-hour train ride from Bergen, Norway to Oslo in real time? Or a full hour of jellyfish doing exactly what it is jellyfish do? Or three fireplaces each filmed at a different time of day? As someone who almost exclusively uses Netflix to fall asleep, "Special Interest" is an absolute goldmine.

Like most internet properties, Netflix likes to guess what I'm looking for before I even know it. Amazon finds books for me. Facebook serves me ads for things I've only mentioned in a passing text message. Google autocompletes my searches for everything except porn. Refreshingly, the "Special Interest" category is so far afield I suspect clicking anything in it will give the recommendation engine some sort of aneurysm.

Below are the current 27 titles in the category which you can use to end your next lazy date night or literally never look at for as long as you live:

Fireplace For Your Home: Birchwood Edition

Fireplace For Your Home: Classic Edition

Moving Art: Underwater

Moving Art: Forests

Moving Art: Oceans

Moving Art: Waterfalls

Moving Art: Flowers

Moving Art: Deserts

Bob Ross: Beauty Is Everywhere

Chill With Bob Ross

Your Brush With Nature

Finding Your Element

NatureVision TV: Collection One

Ocean Wonders

David Blaine: What Is Magic?

International Street Art

Slow TV: Train Ride Bergen to Oslo

Slow TV: Salmon Fishing

Slow TV: The Telemark Canal

Slow TV: National Firewood Morning

Slow TV: National Firewood Evening

Slow TV: National Firewood Night

Slow TV: National Knitting Evening

Slow TV: National Knitting Night

Slow TV: Northern Railway

Slow TV: Northern Passage

Jellies

Trending Stories Right Now

In spite of the more extreme elements of Rick and Morty's saucy fanbase, the Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland-created scifi parody remains a pretty entertaining watch. But after three stellar, wildly popular seasons, its future is uncertain.

Earlier this month Nikon held its annual Surf Photo of the Year awards (in partnership with Surfing Australia). Photos in the comp can be taken anywhere around the world, and are basically the most stunning views of the ocean you're likely to come across this year. Keep scrolling to see what I mean.